The team Andretti Autosport He is going through a bizarre IndyCar season in which, despite regularly fighting for wins and podiums, the results are not coming at all. With three races left in the season, none of its four drivers are in contention for the championship. Colton Herta is the only one of them in the top 10, with the team’s only win in 2021 and three of his four podiums, but he is sixth in the championship with four retirements and countless mechanical problems. This situation will bring about a change for 2022 in the organization chart of the training directed by Michael Andretti, in which his most veteran pilot will not continue, Ryan Hunter-Reay.
The American came to Andretti in 2010, seven after his professional debut, having jumped from team to team with performances far more remarkable than his resources. Legends Bobby Rahal and AJ Foyt had already rescued him from ostracism twice, and Michael Andretti bet on him with a contract until the Indy 500. Hunter-Reay responded by bordering on victory in the first race, winning the fourth and gaining continuity that ended up with a solid sponsor (DHL), IndyCar title in 2012 and Indianapolis 500 victory in 2014, both being milestones that an American pilot had not achieved since 2006.
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Now, after twelve seasons in which he has added 15 of his 18 victories, and 42 of his 47 IndyCar podiums, Hunter-Reay has publicly confirmed the rumors that placed him outside of the team quartet for 2022, something that was already close to happening this winter before its belated renewal in January. “I have been 12 years with Andretti and we have achieved many things together, but last year was the first time that I did not give the team the option to extend our agreement,” said Hunter-Reay in RACER. «My idea was that 2021 was not only going to be my last year with the team, but also my last full-time year. at IndyCar »
What I did not anticipate is that I would have such a terrible year, and I was not happy with leaving it that way not at all, ”added the 40-year-old pilot, born in Texas and raised in Florida, who occupies a 16th position in the general That would make this the worst full-time season of his career. Hunter-Reay has only finished once outside the top 10 in points with Andretti (2016), but the performance of the driver who received the nickname of ‘Captain America’ has dropped dramatically since 2018 in which he finished fourth overall with his only two wins in the last six years.
May 25, 2014. Ryan Hunter-Reay defeats Hélio Castroneves in a close final and wins the Indianapolis 500
Since then, he has only added three podiums, the same top 10 he accumulated this year, with a fourth place in Nashville as the best result. And despite all this, he was not the worst driver in the team this year (James Hinchcliffe is 19th). The current drought of victories that another of the team’s stars, Alexander Rossi, has been going through since 2019, makes Hunter-Reay fully convinced of the need for change. “The reality is that, for whatever reason, things are not working out at Andretti for me. Neither Alex nor I have won a race in two years. I have not won 42 races and he has not won 32, so the time has come to make changes “.
Although its faithful sponsor will also be left by the way, Hunter-Reay is not resigned to a role limited to the Indy 500 or to dedicate himself fully to the endurance, where he has competed frequently in the United States since 2010. “It would have to be the ideal scenario for the next two or three years, but twice I’ve been very close to winning again at Indy, and that’s where my heart takes me. The driver market is in full swing and there are more competitive teams than ever, so this is a great time for a total change in dynamics and scenery.
Hunter-Reay did not want to give names among the potential teams with vacancies that could well use his services, such as Rahal, Coyne, Juncos or even McLaren SP, but assures that “the ‘silly season’ has arrived soon this year, and I’ve had some great conversations with different teams for 2022. I know that I can contribute substantially to a team, that I can still win races and that I have a lot of will and competitiveness within me. There are many names that aspire to replace him in Andretti, but it is very likely that Capi has not yet fought his last battle.
In memoriam, Robin Miller / 1949-2021